Victor: In the report you mention the problem with LED light, which for some time has become a "panacea" for high bills of cities and households. Is lighting the city with LEDs really harmful?
Catherine: Improving energy efficiency involves replacing energy-intensive, outdated lighting with modern and energy-efficient lighting - LEDs. This lighting has better efficiency and performs lighting tasks better, but unfortunately it is also associated with higher blue light emissions, which amplifies the effect of light pollution. An assessment of the extent of the harmfulness of LED lighting would probably require reference to a specific site and the lighting solutions adopted. It is difficult for me to indicate unequivocally the degree of harmfulness of LED lighting, because I do not deal with it professionally. I will refer again to sources of scientific and expert knowledge.
The American Medical Association published a special report in 2016 indicating that high-intensity LED lighting emits a large amount of blue light (it appears white to the naked eye), which causes more glare at night than conventional conventional lighting. This, in turn, results in discomfort, reduced visual acuity, stress and can be a traffic hazard. In addition, the AMA noted, with LED lights having a very adverse effect on the expression of melatonin at night, exerting as much as five times the effect on a person's circadian rhythm as conventional street lights. Earlier, in 2007, the International Agency of the Research on Cancer (IARC) recognized disruption of diurnal rhythms as a "probable carcinogen." Pointing out in the report the harmful effects of poorly designed high-intensity LED lighting, the AMA encouraged minimizing and controlling blue lighting by using the lowest possible blue light emissions to reduce negative effects.
In contrast, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) recognized in its report that LED lighting causes "phototoxic" effects, leading to retinal damage and chronic eye diseases. In another 2010 report, IDA noted the negative effects of blue light in cities on the behavior and reproduction of wildlife, which are often "stopover" sites for migrating species. Scientific publications and expert opinions on the harmful effects of LED lighting are plentiful and it is difficult to cite them all here. Research on the effects of LEDs on human mental and physical health and biodiversity is intense.
The key question is what to do about the results of this research? It is unlikely that we will abandon the more efficient and economical LED lighting. On the other hand, its negative effects give food for thought. It is recommended to use LED lighting with the lowest possible color temperature, which is safer and more environmentally friendly.
LED light and its radiation
© Illustration is from the Memorandum on Establishing a Legal Basis for a Sustainable Outdoor Lighting Policy
Wiktor: You cite Copenhagen in the report as a city that is meticulously trying to solve the pollution problem. In what could Polish local government officials and designers emulate their Danish counterparts?
Catherine: I think, first of all, in pragmatism and creativity. In the simplicity of solutions that are sometimes "on the mark," but above all in long-term policies that are thoughtful, progressive and consistently implemented. As for the local government, I would also add the courage to use the constitutional task-competence independence, which, unfortunately, is sometimes lacking in our domestic authorities. Copenhagen is a very interesting case when it comes to outdoor lighting policy, because in Denmark, as in Poland, there is no specific regulation dedicated separately to light pollution.
It is not a legal concept, and yet the capital city has been carrying out effective measures in this area for years within the framework of statutorily assigned tasks. First and foremost, Copenhagen's outdoor lighting policy has been "embedded" in the broader blueprint established in the Climate Action Plan (KBH 2025), which the Copenhagen City Council adopted in 2012, with the assumption that the Danish capital would become the world's first climate-neutral city by 2025.
Even though we know today that Copenhagen "won't make it" by the original deadline indicated, the road it has traveled is inspiring nonetheless. Even before the Climate Plan was approved, there was a Lighting Strategy for Copenhagen "Night in the Light of the City" (Natten i byens lys), which addressed the five foundations of lighting in the city: "urban life," "identification," "idea and aesthetics," "functionality" and "technology." The implementation tool of the strategy became the outdoor lighting masterplan, the implementation of which was included in the "milestones" of the climate plan. The masterplan consists of two parts. The first sets out rules and standards for upgrading and replacing existing infrastructure. The second sets out principles for designing and implementing future lighting infrastructure in Copenhagen.
Due to the momentous role of outdoor lighting, extensive public participation was ensured in the course of preparing the masterplan - qualitative interviews were conducted in public spaces, consultations were held, and online surveys were collected. Residents and users of public space were able to express their opinions on lighting needs, a sense of security, as well as on matters of aesthetics. In addition, in developing the document, the capital's authorities worked closely with local committees, which are the equivalent of Polish municipal auxiliary units (districts, neighborhoods).
A comprehensive analysis of the structure of the urban fabric was carried out in order to match the type of lighting equipment, luminaires, emission intensity and the number of lighting solutions to the nature of the area - roads, pedestrian and bicycle paths, recreational areas, residential areas, industrial areas, places where vulnerable species are found (or adjacent tothese places), as well as areas of historic buildings and central places where increased activity of residents and tourists is noted after nightfall. It is supposed to be functional, aesthetically pleasing, safe, ecological and economical. The effect is visible in Copenhagen to the "naked eye" during an evening stroll. It is the darkest capital I've been to, yet it is a city where people move around after dark with confidence and safety.
Thequality of urban space and urban planning standards that affect the quality of life of residents inspired members of the Metropolitan Institute to create an interactive blog to promote innovative ideas implemented in urban policies in Copenhagen. The texts, along with other media resources, will address, among other things, light, which is very important to residents of the Danish capital, especially during the zone's difficult autumn and winter season. After the vacations, I cordially invite you to check out "CopenHYGGEn.Ablog about a city of happy people."
Victor: Let's imagine a situation where the mayor of the city finds out about this problem - where can he look for standards or help?
Catherine: The basic problem is the aforementioned lack of universally applicable standards for planning, designing and implementing outdoor lighting infrastructure. Technical standards, the so-called "Polish standards," are applied to outdoor lighting on an optional basis. In such a situation, it is necessary to refer to "good practices" created by international organizations whose mission is to protect the dark sky and create technical standards for outdoor lighting.
Assistance from qualified people in the fields of urban planning and light architecture and lighting technology will be necessary. There will be no getting around external support, as it is unlikely that specialists in these industries will be employed at the city hall. Copenhagen, for example, collaborated with the French firm Citelum in preparing its master plan. It should be borne in mind that in the current state of the law, in the absence of an explicit statutory regulation, any investment in replacing or upgrading outdoor lighting can primarily concern public infrastructure managed by the city in question. With regard to privately-owned lighting, the municipality can use the so-called landscape resolution - in my opinion, not only to limit emissions from advertising devices and signs, but as I mentioned, this requires a certain "courage" in exercising legal autonomy. The current political and legal situation determines a certain restraint of local governments, which is not surprising. Besides, following in the footsteps of Copenhagen, it is important to take inventory of lighting equipment, to determine the needs or otherwise lighting "tasks" for a given place, necessarily with the participation of residents. Replacement and modernization of outdoor lighting is a costly investment, but it is one of the ways to carry out municipal tasks related to the application of energy efficiency measures, which is obliged by EU and national law.
outdoor lighting design algorithm
© Illustration is from the Memorandum on Establishing a Legal Basis for Sustainable Outdoor Lighting Policy
Victor: Is there a chance that once light pollution is reduced, it will be possible to see stars in the city ?
Catherine: The question should be asked to astronomers. In my opinion, it depends on the size of the city, the degree of urbanization, which determines the "amount" of lighting solutions, and the population density. Looking at a map of light pollution (available on the Internet), it is easy to say that the most "glowing" are large urban agglomerations, megapolis and metropolitan areas, where there is an accumulation of light pollution phenomenon, visible even from tens of kilometers away from the source of emissions.
Data from 2016 indicated that 83% of humanity lives under a sky polluted by artificial light, and 1/3 of humanity has lost the ability to view the Milky Way at night. It is estimated that the problem of light pollution affects as much as 99% of the population of Europe and the US, and the light-polluted area of the Earth is increasing by 2.2% per year. In terms of protecting humanity's access to naturally dark skies, the problem is not that you can't observe the stars in the city. The problem is that it is increasingly rare to observe them from areas that should be naturally dark and from professional astronomical observatories. This is a global problem that is being addressed by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).
Due to the inability to meet the eligibility criteria, dark skies cannot be a separate (stand-alone) subject of protection under the auspices of UNESCO as a world heritage site. An interesting solution, however, is the concept of "Windows to the Universe" ("Windows"), which combines the protection of the dark sky landscape with the cultural heritage of historic astronomical observatories. Dark skies are one of the elements of the protection of the area, around which buffer zones are designated, where outdoor lighting is banned.
Victor: Thank you for the interview.
